One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on the farm and in the kitchen. Julie Cerny, farm education director and garden manager at The Sylvia Center, offers a recipe the teenagers will soon be making.
Strawberry ShortcakeServes 8-10 1 Pint ripe strawberries, washed and quartered 1/4 Cup fresh orange juice 4 Cups all-purpose flour 1/2 Cup sugar 2 Tbsp baking powder Pinch (1/16 tsp) kosher salt 1/2 Cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into chunks 1 Cup well-shaken buttermilk 1/2 Cup milk 1/2 Cup cream, plus more for brushing Finely grated zest from one lemon 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Macerate the strawberries in the orange juice. Set aside. (Macerate means to let the berries soak and soften in the liquid). 2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry cutter or fork to blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and milk, then whisk in lemon zest. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, stirring with fork just until dough forms. 4. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Place dough on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 30 minutes. 5. On floured work surface, pat out dough to 1/2-inch-thick round. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut out biscuits. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool. 6. Whip cream until foamy. 7. Split the biscuits as you would an English muffin. Place on a plate. Spoon some berries and juice over the bottoms, top with whipped cream and replace the biscuit tops.
